Hi Sharphooks, Good point re sealing off the old engine compartment from the forward area,will check that out. So far have not seen evidence of water in any foam but could be some hidden areas. I am putting a hinged fiberglass hatch cover over the engine compartment which will be a very close match to the original. Also adding a fiberglass gear tray, with a couple LED lights, below the rear rod holders which will also support my dressing trough. Regarding your earlier question about the pod design, I had a serious discussion with the outfit regarding this and they suggested that the 27 Orca didn't need the extra flotation and planing area of a pod that extended the bottom, and recommended the current design which they have used on a lot of boats. Apparently it has to start far enough above the bottom, and be angled up enough that there will be no drag while the boat is climbing onto plane. The other critical factor is the depth of the leg and prop which they have a formula for. Since they have done so many pods on different boats I decided to go with their advice. Won't be too long before we find out...